


mistletoe

by uneventfulhouses



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series), Watcher Entertainment RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:14:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28041480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uneventfulhouses/pseuds/uneventfulhouses
Summary: Shane laughs, tight and nervous. “It felt weird to tag along with my brother’s boyfriend’s family, so I decided to stay home.”“Alone?” Ryan wonders, turning back towards Shane. “You can’t spend Christmas alone.”
Relationships: Ryan Bergara/Shane Madej
Comments: 31
Kudos: 146
Collections: Skeptic Believer Book Club Advent Calendar





	mistletoe

**Author's Note:**

> henley let me tag along on their day, so here's a bonus advent for everyone :)

It’s almost six when Ryan arrives at the Watcher office, and when he unlocks the door and pushes through, the lights are already on. Peeking inside, he finds Shane sitting on the Watcher couch, a blanket over his lap and a well-worn book in his hands. He looks up at Ryan, hooking his mask back on.

“Ryan?” Shane asks, surprise coloring the tone of his voice as his eyebrows fly up. Ryan’s body blooms with warmth at seeing Shane so close to the holidays; it’s only ever been on the other side of a FaceTime call late on Christmas morning. This is different, new and uncharted, and something about it makes Ryan think about Christmas miracles.

“Uh, what are you doing here?” Ryan asks, furrowing his brow. “I thought you’d be with Scott for Christmas Eve.” He walks further into the office, letting the door shut behind him, keeping his own mask on. His keys jingle in his hand as he looks around—nothing different than he’s used to seeing the office aside from Shane’s computer monitor playing the Yule Log Youtube video, with classical piano on low.

“Oh—” Shane laughs, tight and nervous. “It felt weird to tag along with my brother’s boyfriend’s family, so I decided to stay home.”

“Alone?” Ryan wonders, turning back towards Shane. “You can’t spend Christmas alone.”

Shane’s eyes have always had some sort of sadness in their downturn, but here, even with the mask on, Ryan knows that maybe, for once, Shane hadn’t wanted to be alone. So, rather than do so, he’d come to the office. And for what? To hang out with memories?

“I didn’t really have much else for options,” Shane says quietly, looking down at his book. “It’s fine. I’ve got my book and my spiked hot chocolate, and I’ll just Uber home in a few hours when I’m tired.”

Ryan frowns. He and Shane haven’t been this close since they set to film a month ago, but there’s some sort of magnetization, a pull that tugs Ryan towards Shane; he lifts the bunched blanket on the side of Shane’s lap and sits beside him so their thighs touch, spreading the blanket over his legs.

“I don’t like that,” Ryan says decidedly.

Shane shrugs. “Some years—some years just aren’t as festive as others. That’s okay, though. That’s what makes those years especially special.” He pats Ryan on the thigh but doesn’t keep his hand there. Ryan almost reaches out for his hand. Almost. He can’t see, but he knows Shane is smiling. Those crinkles by his eyes tell him so.

“Come home with me,” Ryan says. “You can come to my parents’. They love you and—and if my mom knew you were _here_ , not even at _home_ , all by _yourself_ , she’d disown me. I love my mother, Shane. I can’t disappoint her.”

“I don’t want to intrude on family traditions, Ry. I really don’t,” Shane protests.

“You wouldn’t be. I’m _inviting_ you.”

“I—”

“I’ll just be thinking about you the whole time anyway,” Ryan says, looking at Shane pointedly. “I’ll be thinking about how I wish you were there with me anyway like I do every year.”

“ _Every_ year?” Shane says, like he’s surprised.

Ryan nods, bumping their shoulders. “It’s one of those things where you wish all the people you care about would be in the same room.”

Shane hums. “Really, Ryan, I’ll be okay. Besides, I can’t just—not unannounced. Testing and—”

Ryan sighs. That is a factor, and not one they can easily rectify with the time frame Ryan’s working with. “You’re a careful person,” Ryan says definitively. “And you’ve been quarantining, so. No symptoms, right?”

“Right, but—”

“Then nothing. Mom made tamales and you like tamales. Dad’s got margaritas on deck and you _know_ Christmas is my favorite time of year.” Ryan stands up, tugging on Shane’s arm. “You’re coming with me, and I _will_ drag you out of here myself if I have to.”

“Why did you—why did you even come here?” Shane asks, stumbling to his feet. He’s got the Grinch’s face on his socks.

“Mom wanted pictures, and I told her I would grab Lucy and set the timer.”

“Oh,” Shane says.

Ryan picks up Lucy from the equipment shelf and switches her on. He raises the lens to his eye and turns around, finds Shane standing there, hands in his pocket, looking dejected and out of place.

“Take your mask off,” Ryan says, keeping his focus. Shane does so, and Ryan can see him all now, tall and awkward, with his sleeves pushed up his forearms and his hair so long it curls underneath his ears.

He watches Shane walk closer to him through the camera lens and when Shane reaches him, he pushes the camera down, leveling Ryan with a softer look than Ryan’s seen in a while. Six inches away from each other and Ryan’s greedy enough to say it still doesn’t satisfy the need to be closer.

“Hi,” Ryan breathes. He holds Lucy tight in his hands as Shane reaches for his face, pulling on the loop of Ryan’s mask. The breath he takes is filled with Shane’s scent, gentle, like pine and musk and chocolate, sweet.

“Hi,” Shane whispers.

Ryan keeps his eyes on Shane, glued to him—he doesn’t want to miss a fraction of any expression. Shane touches his hand to Ryan’s face, palm to cheek, thumb smoothing just under his eye.

Ryan pushes himself up onto the tips of his toes, and it’s just enough to make their noses brush. Holding Lucy with one hand, Ryan’s other hand fists into Shane’s sweater, right at his waist, heart beating so fast in his chest.

When their lips touch, Ryan’s stomach swoops, and he tries pushing himself closer; Shane’s arms wind around his waist, pulling him in, holding him up.

It’s the gentlest kiss he’s ever had, built on trepidation and uncertainty, treacherous considering who they are and what they have between them. But it’s Christmas Eve, and Ryan’s only ever had one Christmas wish.

Ryan pulls back, blinking his eyes open to look up at Shane.

“What was that for?” he asks, a little breathless.

“Mistletoe,” Shane says, just as dazed.

Tilting his head back, Ryan looks up and there’s nothing but the ceiling above them, naked of any Christmas decorations; they hadn’t gotten to do that this year. “What?”

“Uh, the mistletoe in my heart?” Shane says, voice lilting towards uncertain. “Actually, forget I said that—”

“I’m telling everyone.”

“Please don’t.”

“You can’t tell me what to do.”

“Ryan—”

“You had _mistletoe_ in your _heart_ for _me_. Sounds deadly.” 

“If I died right now, wouldn’t be all that bad. Got to kiss you.”

“Oh my God, who are you?” Ryan cackles.

“I hate you,” Shane huffs, but a smile tugs at the corners of his lips.

“You don’t, though.” Ryan leans up for another kiss, smacking his mouth onto Shane’s. “Come on, my mom’s expecting us.”

“She’s expecting _you_. Seriously, Ryan—”

“It’s the way you just kiss me on Christmas Eve and are deliberately trying to get out of cuddling with me while we watch _Home Alone_ , honestly.”

Shane rolls his eyes, but he struggles not to smile, failing miserably as he grins anyway. 

“Come on, Mr. Grinch.” Ryan slides his hand into Shane’s clasping their fingers. Shane turns his monitor off, killing the music and the video of the yule log.

It isn’t until they get to the elevator that Shane bursts out laughing, looking down at the floor. When Ryan looks down, he catches sight of Shane’s feet, only in his Grinch socks, cackling.

“All that romance made me forget my shoes,” Shane says through his giggling, and Ryan looks at him, really looks at him, and thinks, Christmas wish fulfilled. 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! [tumblr 💗](https://uneventfulhouses.tumblr.com/)


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